Educational Philosophy

I have had a great experience with every institute that I have learned at. In these institutions I had all kinds of teachers, those who lectured the whole class, those who brought the subject alive, and those that were adequate. I have formulated my Educational Philosophy based upon what worked and didn’t work in the classes I attended.
The first characteristic of my classroom environment will be passion about learning. Creating a fun environment where all of the students feel safe to voice questions and brainstorm possible answers. Creating interactive group situations where learning is exciting, but also structured learning time involving student interaction.
School is a place to learn fundamental skills that will be necessary to succeed in life. These include; math, geography, science, reading, health, writing, art, music, technology, and physical education. I do not think that personal beliefs should enter the classroom, however, I do think that all sides of the issue should be presented. For example, in the field of science there is debate over whether the earth was created, already existed, or a big bang created it. I think it is important to be transparent about the fact that we don’t know and all side should be given equal attention.
I am very passionate about the sciences and health. I love these subjects and like to do hands on learning such as dissecting, and activities that take the students outside to explore their world. There are situations were movies can become an asset to the students learning. The discovery channel and PBS have great movies about amazing things that make learning come alive in other ways than a classroom setting.
I care about students and realize that I can do everything right in the classroom and still have a student who struggles. This would lead me to believe that something outside of the classroom is affecting the student. I think my job is more than teaching a subject in a classroom setting, it is doing everything I can to help the student succeed in school and as a person. My greatest strength as a teacher is caring about more than the test score a student receives. Creating an appropriate relationship with each student is vital to their success. After establishing that relationship, if signs were present of an outside problem it would be my responsibility to get the student help. This could be parents, school counselors, or administration.
I can remember every name of my elementary school teachers. Some evoke good memories and others I wish I could forget! The point is teachers have a lasting impact whether good or bad on a human life forever. I feel excited and privileged to be a part of another person’s life and realize that teaching requires more than a lesson plan; it requires dedication to each student.